Music

RSNO

Usher Hall, Edinburgh

Keith Bruce

four stars

THE two programmes Thomas Sondergard has directed this year as Principal Guest Conductor of the RSNO certainly whet the appetite for his newly-announced tenure succeeding Peter Oundjian as Music Director in a year and a bit's time. Sibelius, Mahler and Beethoven are not the most obvious of bedfellows, but the progression of this concert was, if anything, even more fascinating than the one in April. And although there were some great solo instrumental contributions – from Emily Cockbill on cor anglais in Mahler's Ruckert Leider, and flautist Kath Bryan on Beethoven's Leonore Overture No3 – it was the quality the conductor drew from the strings, with Maya Iwabuchi in place in the leader's chair, that was a consistent highlight of the evening.

That was immediately obvious in the three-part suite of theatrical music by Sibelius that opened the evening, when they had the stage to themselves until the final, best known, Valse Triste. The playing in the central movement, Scenes with Cranes, was exquisite and included a lovely dialogue between Iwabuchi and principal cello Aleksei Kiseliov (who will be the soloist on the concerto by Saint-Saens the next time Sondergard visits).

Mezzo Jennifer Johnston has the perfect rich full tone for the Mahler songs, although it was a little disappointing that she read the score throughout, arguably hindering expression on the glorious At Midnight. Perhaps we expect too much of soloists to have repertoire memorised, but she has performed these songs before, certainly in their piano-accompanied versions.

Guest principal timpanist Benedikt Kurz switched to period kettle drums for the Beethoven, which was fleet of foot, crisp playing delineating the beautifully dramatic narrative that was perhaps the inspiration of Hector Berlioz's famous waspish (and misunderstood) dismissal of the opera for which its was written.

Christopher Gough's horn was to the fore in Sibelius Symphony No 5, in partnership with bassoon in the first movement and trombone in the finale. This was a lovely account of the lyrical swan-inspired work that just failed to hit the pinnacle it was aiming for in that conclusion. The building blocks were just a little too obvious – too Lego, if you like – in the journey to its dramatic final bars.